Tool



Oct. 20, 1931. s. c. ERTOLA 1,828,106

TOOL Filed April 23, 19:50

INVEMTOR. SYLVIO c. ERTOLA. 7 HIS A'I'TORA/A'EX Patented Oct. 20, 1931PATENT OFFiCE SYLVIO C. ERTOLA, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA Applicationfiled April 23,

My invention relates to improvements in tools for lifting or turningobjects such as cans, jars, covers, and the like, wherein a flexibleband is mounted with its ends secured 5 to a nut slidably movable withina tubular handle, said band extending outwardly from the handle in theform of a loop adjustable by means of the nut to fit various objects tobe engaged.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved tool forlifting and holding objects such as hot cans, jars, or the like.

Another object is to provide an improved tool provided with a flexibleloop band adjustable to various sizes for engagingobjects to be liftedor turned.

A further object is to provide an improved tool of the characterdescribed having improved adjusting means and an increased range ofadjustment.

Another object is to provide an improved tool which may be quickly andeasily adjusted and which may be tightened into eflicient bindingengagement with the object to be engaged.

A further object is to provide an improved device of the characterdescribed of rugged, compact, and eflicient construction and which canbe manufactured and assembled economically. V

I accomplish these and other objects by means of the improved devicedisclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present applicationwherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar partsthroughout the specification and drawings, and in WlllCh Fig. 1 is aside elevation, partly in section, of my improved tool as fitted to anobject to be engaged;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the device, shown at right angles tothe position occupied in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a broken front end elevation of the device; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken upon the line 44 of Fig. 1 in thedirection indicated.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 1930. Serial No. 446,627.

is used to designate in general a handle 8 formed preferably fromtubular material and having longitudinally extending inwardly disposedrib 2. One end of the handle 1 is outwardly flared as at 8, and theedges of the flaring end of the handle are curved as at 4 to form aconcave seat upon the end of the handle.

A nut 6 is slidably mounted within the tubular handle 1. Grooves 7 areformed upon the sides of the nut to engage the ribs 2 to preventrotation of the nut within the handle. An adjusting member 8 is mountedaxially within the handle 1 in threaded engagement with the nut 6, oneend of the member 8 being provided with a reduced bearing portion 9engaging a fixed bearing 11 secured within the flared end of thehandle 1. and the member 8 being secured in rotatable engagement withthe bearing 11 by a suitable retaining member 12. The opposite end ofthe member 8 is provided with an actuating knob 14 secured upon the endof said member 8 and rotatably engaged within the adjacent end of thehandle 1 to form a bearing for the end of the adjusting member 8. Theknob 14 is provided with an outwardly extending knurled portion 16whereby the member 8 may be rotated to move the nut longitudinally alongthe adjusting member to desired positions within the handle.

A flexible band 17, formed from spring steel or other suitable material,is mounted with its ends secured within notches 18 formed in the sidesof the nut 6. The band extends outwardly through recesses 19 formed atthe sides of the bearing 11 and spreads outwardly past the flared end 3of the handle in the form of aloop.

The loop formed by the band 17 is adjusted to fit a desired object 19 tobe engaged by turning the knob 14 to move the nut 6 longitudinally to adesired position within the handle 1. As the nut 6 is moved awayfrom'the flared end 3 of the handle, the ends of the band 17 are movedinto the handle and the size of the outwardly extending loop iscorrespondingly reduced. Thus, when the nut 6 is moved to its extremeoutward position as limited by the bearing 11, the band spreads into arelatively large loop, as shown in full lines in Fig. of the drawings.As the nut is moved inwardly, the ends of the band 17 are moved inwardlyand the size of the loop is gradually reduced until the nut reaches theextreme position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, thus leaving onlya very small outwardly extending loop.

My improved tool is particularly useful for engaging and lilting heatedobjects, such as cans, jars, or the like. In this connection, the loopis extended until it will readily slip over the object to be engaged,and the knob 14 is then turned to tighten the band around the object. Asthe band is drawn tight, the object 19 is d awn against the curved seata formed by the flared end of the handle 1, thereby causing said objectto be rigidly engaged and held upon the handle whereby the ob]ect may beconveniently lifted and held by means of said handle.

The device is also highly useful as a wrench for turning objects to beturned or for holding objects against rotation while a cover or othermember is turned relative thereto. Thus, by tightening the loop toengage the cover of a jar or the like. the band is held in frictionalengagen'ient with the cover and as the handle is pressed toward eitherside, the band is cramped against the cover whereby the cover may beloosened or tightened as desired. In like manner. the device may beapplied to the body of such jar whereby the jar may be held againstturning while a cover is applied or loosened manually or by a similartool applied to the cover as above explained. In this connection, theflaring portion 3 of the handle is pressed against the adjacent portionot' the band 17 to effectually clamp said band upon the object onaged.

Vhile I have illustrated and described what I now regard as thepreferred embodiment of my invention, the device. of course, may bemodified in numerous details of construction without departing from thespirit of mv invention. I theretv'u'e desire to avail myself of allmodilimitions which may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is l. A tool comprising a hollow tubular handleprovided with a flaring end; a nut slidably mounted within the handle; abear ing rigidly mounted within the flaring end of the handle: anadjusting member mounted within the handle in threaded engagement withthe nut and having one end rotatably connected to the bearing andprovided with means engaging opposite sides of the bearing to hold theadjusting member against longitudinal movement in either directionwithin the handle; an actuating knob mounted upon the opposite end ofthe adjusting member and extending outwardly from the handle, said knobbeing provided with a bearing portion seating within the end of thehandle to form a bearing for the outer end. of the adjusting member; anda flexible band having its ends extending inwardly past the bearing andsecured to the nut, the intermediate portion of the band extendingoutwardly in the form of a loop, said ends being movable inwardly andoutwardly along the handle. with the nut to vary the size of the loop tofit a desired object to be engaged, the flaring ends of the handle beingmovable to seat against the surface of an object engaged.

2. A tool comprising a hollow tubular haudle provided withlongitudinally extending inwardly disposed ribs and having the edges atone end of the handle outwardly flared: a bearing bar rigidly mountedtransversely across the handle within the flared end of the handle; anut slidably mounted within the handle and grooved to engage the ribs toprevent rotation of the nut within the handle: an adjusting membermounted longitudinally within the handle in threaded engagement with thenut and having one end rotatably secured to the bearing, said end beingprovided with means seating against opposite sides of the bearing bartohold the adjusting member against longitudinal movement in eitherdirection; an actuating knob mounted upon the opposite end of thetubular handle and secured to the outer end of the adjusting member,said knob having a reduced bearing portion seating within the end of thehandle to rotatably support the outer end of the adjusting membertherein and said knob being provided with an outwardly extending knurledportion whereby the adjusting member may be rotated within the handle:and a flexible band having its ends secured to the nut, the portionintermediate to said ends spreading outwardly past the flared edges ofthe handle in the form of a loop, said ends being movablelongitiulinally of the, handle to vary the size of the outwardlyextending loop to fit a desired object to be engaged.

In witness whereof. I hereunto set my nature.

SYLVIO C. ERTOLA.

